Following a 10-day military siege, the Israel Defense Forces withdrew from Hebron on Monday, November 2, 2026. The operation, launched after an October 23 shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers, displaced thousands of residents, halted local economic activity, and prompted emergency legal challenges from human rights groups.
The military operation began on Oct. 23 following a deadly shooting at a checkpoint near the city’s outskirts. Two Palestinian gunmen, identified as Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba, opened fire, killing Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem while wounding three other troops before both attackers were shot dead, according to The Times of Israel. In response, the military imposed strict closures across Hebron and surrounding villages, sealing entry and exit points and transforming residential properties into military outposts.
Displacement and Infrastructure Destruction Across Hebron Neighborhoods
During the 10-day operation, troops carried out night raids, seized homes in neighborhoods such as Al-Jalda and Ein Deir Bahha, and raised Israeli flags over residences converted into barracks. The Hebron Municipality reported that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families were displaced by the offensive. Official data indicated that 537 families comprising 3,361 individuals were forced from the al-Jalda and Deir Bahha areas alone, while Al Jazeera noted that more than 3,300 residents were displaced or otherwise affected.
The operation also involved targeted demolitions. On October 30, forces demolished two homes belonging to the families of the men Israel described as the assailants in the Ain Deir Baha area after accusing them of carrying out a shooting attack in the Farsh al-Hawa area west of Hebron on Oct. 23. Days earlier, notices were served for commercial structures, including a tile showroom in the Farsh al-Hawa area, where owners were given 24 hours to evacuate before a military bulldozer moved in. According to the municipality, 327 shops closed, bringing direct economic losses to millions of shekels a day.
In addition to urban residential areas, the offensive impacted surrounding agricultural communities. Five Palestinians were injured when illegal Israeli occupiers attacked a family harvesting olives in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of central Hebron, beating them, using pepper spray, throwing stones, and stealing their olive harvest. Occupiers also completely burned an agricultural room and equipment in Masafer Yatta south of Hebron, while farmers were prevented from working in Dura and al-Shuyukh.
Arrests accompanied the military raids across the governorate. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society reported that Israeli forces arrested 110 Palestinians between Friday and Wednesday. Furthermore, the sweeping movement restrictions cut residents off from essential services, disrupting education at 66 schools and affecting 2,872 students, of whom 2,198 remained under direct siege while 674 were forcibly displaced.
Legal Petitions and Political Tensions Surrounding the Operation
The scope of the military measures drew sharp condemnation from rights organizations. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel argued that the expulsions and property destruction constituted collective punishment in violation of international law. The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem condemned the plan to forcibly displace Palestinian residents, stating that the government was announcing its crimes in advance. Separate petitions were filed with Israel’s Supreme Court demanding the return of displaced families. Lawyer Bassam Al-Qawasmi, founder of the All-Palestinian Gathering, stated that the court awaited responses from the military prosecution and army, with the legal action launched after obtaining authorization from the Hebron Municipality and affected families, backed by the Relief and Support Committee.
Internal disagreements marked the military command structure during the offensive. The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel reported that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir recommended ending the operation and allowing evacuated residents to return just two days after it began, concluding there was no operational or legal rationale to keep them out. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the suggestion. Mohamed Helles, an expert on Israeli affairs, noted that the operation was launched days before general elections and was partly an attempt to secure electoral points at the ballot box.
Palestinian security forces have taken full control of the area following the Israeli withdrawal.
Governor Khaled Dudin, via Al Jazeera
Return of Residents and Municipal Assessment of Damages
Vehicles carrying displaced families arrived shortly after the military pulled back. Returning residents found damaged furniture and ransacked rooms in buildings that had been occupied by troops.
Educational institutions that had been shuttered during the siege also resumed operations. Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari noted that schoolchildren and university students were returning to classes after nine days of disruption that affected roughly 262,000 students across the governorate.
